What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 27, 2020, about 1500 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172C, N8311X, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident approximately 0.5 nautical miles northwest of Sky Acres Airport (44N) near Pleasant valley, new york. The student pilot, who operated the airplane as a part 91 solo flight, was not injured.
According to the student pilot, after a normal preflight inspection she departed with 27 gallons of fuel and planned to remain in the traffic pattern for runway 17 to practice takeoffs and landings. She deployed partial flaps and carburetor heat on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot reported that ?in between midfield left downwind and beaming the numbers of 17 I first saw the needle in the tach fall clockwise in between the number range, almost as if it stopped working, then the gyro beginning to spin continuously, and lastly I heard a loud alarm (not the stall warning) go off. Shortly thereafter, the engine experienced an RPM reduction, which was followed by a total loss of engine power during the turn from the base leg to the final approach leg of the traffic pattern?. The student pilot performed the emergency checklist and cycled the magnetos, then declared an emergency and performed a forced landing to a wooded area. The airplane came to rest inverted in swampy terrain amongst trees, and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Weather reported at hudson valley regional airport, the nearest reporting station, was wind from the southwest at 5 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, and clear skies.
The pilot did not report any pre-existing mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane. A records review showed the last engine major overhaul was completed on February 28, 1984 while installed in another aircraft. The engine had a total of 126 hours since major overhaul (smoh) when installed in N8311X on may 23, 1985. At the time of this accident, the total engine hours smoh is approximately 1,337. The last airframe,engine, and propeller annual inspection was completed on April 17, 2020.
The student pilot was a minor, and the investigating inspector obtained parental consent from her father to interview the pilot. Additionally, the father was present during the interview and was provided an opportunity to review the pilot?s written statement to verify its accuracy.
The airplane was recovered for further examination. This report may be amended at a later date.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 27, 2020, ABOUT 1500 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172C, N8311X, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT APPROXIMATELY 0.5 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF SKY ACRES AIRPORT (44N) NEAR PLEASANT VALLEY, NEW YORK. THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO OPERATED THE AIRPLANE AS A PART 91 SOLO FLIGHT, WAS NOT INJURED.
ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, AFTER A NORMAL PREFLIGHT INSPECTION SHE DEPARTED WITH 27 GALLONS OF FUEL AND PLANNED TO REMAIN IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 17 TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. SHE DEPLOYED PARTIAL FLAPS AND CARBURETOR HEAT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ?IN BETWEEN MIDFIELD LEFT DOWNWIND AND BEAMING THE NUMBERS OF 17 I FIRST SAW THE NEEDLE IN THE TACH FALL CLOCKWISE IN BETWEEN THE NUMBER RANGE, ALMOST AS IF IT STOPPED WORKING, THEN THE GYRO BEGINNING TO SPIN CONTINUOUSLY, AND LASTLY I HEARD A LOUD ALARM (NOT THE STALL WARNING) GO OFF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED AN RPM REDUCTION, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE TURN FROM THE BASE LEG TO THE FINAL APPROACH LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN?. THE STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST AND CYCLED THE MAGNETOS, THEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A WOODED AREA. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED IN SWAMPY TERRAIN AMONGST TREES, AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE.
WEATHER REPORTED AT HUDSON VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT, THE NEAREST REPORTING STATION, WAS WIND FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 5 KNOTS, 10 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY, AND CLEAR SKIES.
THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY PRE-EXISTING MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS OF THE AIRPLANE. A RECORDS REVIEW SHOWED THE LAST ENGINE MAJOR OVERHAUL WAS COMPLETED ON FEBRUARY 28, 1984 WHILE INSTALLED IN ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE HAD A TOTAL OF 126 HOURS SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL (SMOH) WHEN INSTALLED IN N8311X ON MAY 23, 1985. AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT, THE TOTAL ENGINE HOURS SMOH IS APPROXIMATELY 1,337. THE LAST AIRFRAME,ENGINE, AND PROPELLER ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON APRIL 17, 2020.
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS A MINOR, AND THE INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR OBTAINED PARENTAL CONSENT FROM HER FATHER TO INTERVIEW THE PILOT. ADDITIONALLY, THE FATHER WAS PRESENT DURING THE INTERVIEW AND WAS PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE PILOT?S WRITTEN STATEMENT TO VERIFY ITS ACCURACY.
THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED AT A LATER DATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.